If you want to make better, green choices when it comes to barbecue season, you can start by not buying charcoal briquettes! Those briquettes usually include materials like sodium nitrate and coal dust, the making of which has contributed greatly to deforestation. Try to find lump charcoal from sustainable forests, which you can find by looking for the Forest Stewardship Council logo on the package.

It was thought that because natural gas burns cleaner than standard charcoal, that it would leave a smaller
overall carbon footprint. This is not the case, as natural gas is a non-renewable energy.

Gas grills use a lot more fuel, especially the newer models with huge grilling space and burners attached. The best choice is to use eco-friendly charcoal which will replace carbon monoxide absorbed by trees, making it, in fact, carbon neutral.